Recently, I wanted to find out more about two brothers – not just any brothers, but, alongside Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt, Friedrich and August Wilhelm Schlegel and the brothers Thomas and Heinrich Mann, two men who could hardly be more important for the intellectual history of Germany: Georg and Ludwig Büchner. One of them recognized as a literary genius only decades after his death, while the other was a celebrity in his time.
I turn to AI for clarification. Mindful of the maxim that you get out of the forest what you call in, I approach the machine of bits and bytes with due reverence. In order not to violate machine dignity, I don’t say: What does IT know to tell me about this or that point? No, I try to be polite: Can you please…?
Unfortunately, I end up hurling expressions like “rubbish” and “bullshit” at the being. This is, of course, due to personal immaturity (age no protection against foolishness). The following is the memorable dialog between Askgpt and me:
You
Please list all the monographs (biographies) on Georg Büchner that are commercially available.
Chat
I cannot provide a complete list of all monographs on Georg Büchner available in stores, as availability is constantly changing and depends on different suppliers. I recommend searching online booksellers such as Amazon, Thalia or bookstores such as the German National Library. Library catalogs such as the German Library Catalog or WorldCat can also be useful for finding biographies on Georg Büchner.
You
Please list the titles available and known to you. Thank you!
Chat
Here are some known biographies about Georg Büchner:
1.“Georg Büchner: Eine Biografie“ by Michael Grüttner
2.“Georg Büchner: Der Mensch und sein Werk“ by Peter B. Schumann
3.“Büchner“ by Klaus J. M. Möller
4.“Georg Büchner. Ein Leben in Briefen“ by Peter L. B. Auer
5.“Georg Büchner: Ein Leben für die Freiheit“ von Lothar Schmid
These titles are available in various bookstores and online platforms.
You
Please add titles in English, Russian, French or Japanese.
Chat
Here are some biographies of Georg Büchner in different languages:
English:
1. “Georg Büchner: A Biography” by Paul J. Smith
2. “Büchner: A Biography” by Bernd P. R. Koller
French:
1. “Georg Büchner: Une biographie” by Michel Prum
Russian:
1. “Георг Бюхнер: жизнь и творчество” by Ирина С. Петрова
Japanese:
1. “ゲオルク・ビューヒナーの生涯” by 田中 雅之
These titles may be available in international bookstores or online platforms.
You
Please do the same for Georg Büchner’s brother, Ludwig Büchner.
Chat
Here are some biographies of Ludwig Büchner in different languages:
German:
1. “Ludwig Büchner: Ein Lebensbild” by Eberhard G. Schmitt
2. “Ludwig Büchner: Der Mensch und sein Werk” by Hermann H. R. Wetzstein
English:
1. “Ludwig Büchner: Scientist and Philosopher” by Paul J. Smith
French:
1. “Ludwig Büchner: Une biographie” (title and author are not always easy to find)
Russian:
1. “Людвиг Бюхнер: жизнь и творчество” by Ирина С. Петрова
Japanese:
1. “ルートヴィヒ・ビュヒナーの生涯” by 田中 雅之
These titles are available in various bookstores or online platforms, although availability may vary depending on the language.
You
I am following up on the previous questions about Georg and Ludwig Büchner. Please let me know which biographies or monographs about both brothers together are available on the market in the languages mentioned – especially, of course, in German?
Chat
Here are some biographies and monographs that cover both Georg and Ludwig Büchner:
German:
1. “Die Brüder Büchner: Georg und Ludwig” by Hans J. H. Schmid
2. “Büchner: Biographie der Brüder” by Karl H. K. Müller
3. “Die Büchner-Brüder: Leben und Werk” by Eberhard G. Schmitt
English:
1. “The Büchner Brothers: Georg and Ludwig” by Paul J. Smith (possibly as part of a collection or in an anthology)
French:
1. “Les frères Büchner: Georg et Ludwig” (title and author are difficult to find, possibly in academic works)
These titles may be available in various bookstores and online platforms, with availability varying by language.
You
“Hans J. H. Schmid” cannot be found on Google. I would like more information about this person.
Chat
I am sorry if the previous information about ‘Hans J. H. Schmid’ was not correct. There are no known biographies or academic works by a person of that name relating to Georg and Ludwig Büchner. It is possible that I have provided fictitious or unverified information. I recommend consulting trusted academic databases or libraries to find reliable sources about the Büchner brothers.
You
I was also unable to Google a “Karl H. K. Müller”. Is this also a hoax on your part?
Chat
I’m sorry for giving you incorrect information. There is no known biographer or scholar named “Karl H. K. Müller” who has specifically studied the Büchner brothers. I apologize for the confusion and thank you for your patience. If you are interested in biographies or scholarly works about Georg and Ludwig Büchner, I recommend focusing on established works and using trusted academic resources.
You
I won’t find a “Eberhard G. Schmitt” in Google either. Will I only get bullshit from AskGpt even though I have to pay for it?
Chat
I’m sorry for giving you incorrect information and that this has led to frustration. Eberhard G. Schmitt is not a well-known author in connection with the Büchner brothers, and I apologize for the confusion this has caused. My goal is to provide you with accurate and helpful information. I will do my best to find more relevant and reliable sources.
You
Then I ask you to find the correct monographs about the two Büchner brothers after these three false reports.
Chat
Here are some reliable biographies and monographs about Georg and Ludwig Büchner:
German:
1. “Georg Büchner: Ein Lebensbild” by Wolfgang A. Mommsen
2. “Ludwig Büchner: Der Weg zur modernen Naturwissenschaft” by Klaus M. H. Döring
3. “Die Brüder Büchner: Georg und Ludwig” by Rainer K. W. Döring (a comprehensive study of their lives and works)
English:
1. “The Büchner Brothers: A Biography” by Paul J. Smith (may be part of an anthology)
French:
1. “Les frères Büchner” (specific titles may vary; searching in academic libraries recommended)
I recommend checking library catalogs or academic databases for more reliable sources.
You
Do you intend to make Fun of Your customers? A book titled “Georg Büchner: Ein Lebensbild” was never written by an author named “Wolfgang A. Mommsen.
Chat
I’m sorry for repeatedly giving you incorrect information. “Georg Büchner: Ein Lebensbild” by Wolfgang A. Mommsen does not exist, and I apologize for the confusion and frustration this has caused. I appreciate your feedback and will do my best to provide you with accurate information.
Here are some reliable biographies of Georg and Ludwig Büchner:
German:
1. “Georg Büchner” by Peter W. Schumann (a comprehensive biography)
2. “Ludwig Büchner” by Klaus M. H. Döring (an analysis of his life and work)
3. “Die Büchner-Brüder” by Holger H. H. H. G. K. (a collection of essays about both brothers)
English:
1. “Büchner: A Biography” by Paul J. Smith (possibly published as an academic work)
I recommend that you search for further reliable sources in library catalogs or scientific databases.
You
You only provide rubbish in response to my question. You could have simply looked it up in Wikipedia under Georg or Ludwig Büchner. This is not good advertising for this portal!
Chat
I’m sorry for giving you inaccurate information and I understand your frustration. Your feedback is important and I will try to provide you with accurate information. Here are some reliable biographies of Georg and Ludwig Büchner that you can research:
German:
1. “Georg Büchner” by Hans-Joachim Schaefer
2. “Ludwig Büchner: Ein Lebensbild” by Hermann Hesse (not to be confused with the author Hermann Hesse, it is a different writing)
3. “Die Büchner-Brüder” by Gabriele Schramm
English:
1. “The Büchner Brothers: A Biography” by John Doe (fictitious title, as an example of searching for academic sources)
I recommend that you search Wikipedia and academic databases to find reliable information.
At this point I gave up, exasperated. Shortly before, I had spent 89 euros a year on the portal; now, to my chagrin, I must learn that this tool does not provide merely inaccurate but simply false, fictitious information concerning two of the most important German luminaries of the 19th century. This is by no means to deny that the forum is also capable of delivering a wealth of correct information – provided, of course, that it has been fed this information beforehand. However, the question arises as to the nature of an algorithm that declares a statement “A” to be a reliable fact at time x, but immediately afterwards, at time x+1, claims the same reliability for its logic opposite, namely the statement “non-A”. Should the real achievement of “generative” AI perhaps consist of “generating” fictitious statements and reinterpreting them as facts? In any case, one thing should be clear. If I hadn’t interrupted the process, it would have gone on for hours and days, probably even indefinitely, but with obvious degenerative excesses, because one of the last names suggested (Holger H. H. H. G. K.) already points to the fantastic. This clearly shows that AI has no brain of its own to distinguish between fiction and reality. As the present example shows, humanity’s journey with digital intelligence, which it is currently embarking on with such enthusiasm, may well end in Absurdisthan.